The Atlanta Braves were hoping to re-sign David Ross after he provided his services as a back-up to the Braves' long-time catcher, Brian McCann.  McCann was injured and Ross was thrust into a more prominent role, a role the Red Sox seem willing to give Ross.  The Red Sox signed Ross to a two-year, $6.2 million deal leaving Atlanta to search for a back-up to their injured starter.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the David Ross deal yesterday morning.  He says Ross may be the best back-up catcher in all of baseball.  This, of course, is a big loss for the Atlanta Braves.  The Braves are not sure what they are going to get from McCann when he returns, and as it stands now, they do not have a viable option to back him up.


The good thing for the Braves is how early we are in the offseason.  They may have lost out on negotiating a new deal for Ross, but they have plenty of time to find another back-up catcher while evaluating McCann's rehab process.

McCann recently had shoulder surgery after the shoulder limited him to just 121 games this past season.  Despite the surgery and the decreasing productivity, the Braves picked up McCann's 2013 option on October 30th.  The team, though, is still uncertain about his long-term future.

McCann, who is 28 and is a six-time All-Star already, hit just .230/.300/.399.  This comes on the heals of a 2011 season that saw McCann not make an All-Star Game for the first time since his rookie season.  In 2011, McCann hit .270/.351/.466.  The Braves will certainly be looking for an option to back him up, but depending on whether McCann can bounce back in 2013, they may be looking for a starter soon as well.
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